Pinkalicious Shells

Since I have't posted consistently lately, I've decided to post dinner as well.  We had simple stuffed shells today...some shells dyed colors to please the girls (pink...E's favorite color).  Just put some dye in the water as the shells cook...instant food art!  To Eve, pink food is way better to eat.  And I say, "Hey, whatever works."  :)  Oh, and you might be able to see some orange color peaking out of the shell...it's chopped shoestring carrots that I added to the "stuffing"...b/c I add those carrots to just about anything and they barely even notice.

Pinkalicious - stuffed shells (with chopped shoestring carrots), salad, grapes

Tofu Friday

Since it was just the girls and I tonight (no husband for dinner), we ate leftovers and did a good job of cleaning out the fridge.  So, I've decided to show you our Friday dinner instead.  Once again, I was looking for something to make on a Friday night other than pizza, so we went with tofu!  I don't cook it often, but when I do, I do like it...I'm really not sure why it gets such a bad rap. It wasn't my favorite recipe (so I'm not going to share it with you), but basically it was a tofu and veggie stir fry.  You can really make it up yourself and add whatever veggies and sauces you like best. The girls were a little skeptical at first, but when I told E that Kai-Lan (from the cartoon) loves bok choy, she gave it a try (even though she didn't quite believe me).  Luckily, a few days later on TV we saw a short clip of Kai-Lan picking bok choy!  What luck!  It's great when my little white lies actually pan out!  Oh, and it didn't hurt that I shaped the rice in a heart shaped cookie cutter...she went straight for the rice when I put it on the table.  :)  Can't go wrong with a good old fashioned cookie cutter.

Tofu Bento - tofu stir fry with bok choy and carrots, white rice (heart shaped), pear slices, craisins

A Day of Firsts!



Today was a day of firsts!  It was a wonderfully warm day here, so we got in the grilling mood.  We grilled some steaks, which is a first for my kids.  I never gave it to them before because I've always thought that it's a texture that takes some getting used to, but we gave it a shot and it went extremely well!  It totally goes to show that you can't assume your kids won't eat it...you've got to try.  It was also the first time that my youngest (1.5 years) had corn on the cob (also successful!).   Anyhow, to celebrate how well our dinner went, we had our first ice cream cones of the season!!! 

 

"Firsts" Bento - steak, parmesan couscous mixed with carrots and peas, blueberries, corn on the cob, icecream

Rachael Ray the Bento Way! - Beef Pot Pie

So I've decided to start a weekly special called "Rachael Ray the Bento Way!"  I've always loved watching her show and enjoy trying out her recipes.  Many are quick and easy to make, and the ingredients are usually pretty easy to find.  Here is a recipe I've had for a while (and used to make frequently), but haven't made lately because I didn't think my daughters would go for it.  So I decided to "bento-ize" it for the kids!  Basically, I followed the recipe as is, except I used teriyaki sauce instead of worcestershire sauce (I thought the teriyaki sauce would be easier on the kids...worcestershire has a pretty intense flavor in my opinion).  I also added chopped shoestring carrots (only because I add these into almost everything...it's a way for me to sneak in a vegetable without them really even noticing).  :)   Then, instead of folding the pie crust into a wedge, I used a flower cutter to make it extra cute! Lastly, I added some extra fruit, veggies, and cheese and VOILA.

And the verdict is...both daughters ate it all up!  YUM!  And let me just clarify that my daughters do NOT like red meat.  So for them to have eaten this happily was a HUGE success!  Thank you Rachael Ray! 

I will be spotlighting another recipe next week on "Rachael Ray the Bento Way!"  In the meantime, if you'd like a copy of this week's recipe, check it out here.  http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/beef-pot-pie-wedges/#

Beef Pot Pie Bento - beef pot pie flowers, peas, blueberries, cheddar cheese flowers, organic cinnamon graham ABC cookie

Ode to Pancake Week

Okay, so this week hasn't been so healthy due to National Pancake Week.  And in no way can I claim this as bento.  But it IS National Nutrition Month, and with that said, I am trying to focus on serving food with different colors (which is sort of bento...each meal having 5 colors).  Serving food that represents lots of different colors makes for a healthier meal.  Sooooo...here it goes.   Red strawberries, check.  Green spinach, check.  Yellow eggs, check.  Orange carrots, check.  Brown, um, chocolate?  Sure, that works, right?!  :)  Well, regardless, BOTH of my dear daughters cleaned their plate...I know, I know...not hard to do when serving chocolate and banana pancakes.  But they even loved the omelet! Oh, and if you want the recipe for the "Chunky Monkey Pancakes" (chocolate chips, bananas, and pecans), you can find it here.   http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chunky-Monkey-Pancakes/Detail.aspx  They are to die for!

Chunky Monkey "Bento" - chunky monkey pancakes, strawberries, omelet (with spinach, carrot, mushroom, sausage, and cheese)